The Indianapolis Colts have a chance to narrow the gap in the AFC South with their upcoming match against the Minnesota Vikings. It will be a tough game for the Colts, who have struggled throughout this season and are currently in the midst of a massive upheaval, after head coach Shane Steichen benched Anthony Richardson in favor of veteran QB Joe Flacco.
However, the Colts have been competitive in every one of their games, losing by just one touchdown or less. The Colts will be playing on Sunday Night Football, where they have a golden opportunity to upset the Vikings, who are widely favored to win.
Given that the Houston Texans, the current leaders of the AFC South, just had an embarrassing loss to the New York Jets, that upset could easily put the Colts back in playoff contention. Here are the announcers and referees for Week 9.
Game Info:
- Game day: Sunday, November 3rd, 2024
- Game time: 8:20 p.m.
- Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Stadium: U.S. Bank Stadium
Announcers for Colts vs. Vikings:
- Mike Tirico: Play-by-Play Announcer
- Chris Collinsworth: Analyst
- Melissa Stark: Sideline Reporter
The play-by-play announcer gives commentary about the action on the field. They typically have strong knowledge of the game, and the ability to explain what's happening in a way that people of different knowledge levels of football can understand.
Analysts provide complementary commentary to the the play-by-play announcer, usually with more in-depth information. Analysts are often former players or coaches, and can provide insight into what the coaches or players might be thinking or feeling.
Sideline reporters give up-to-the-minute updates on what's happening, typically through interviews with coaches and players during the game.
Referees for Colts vs. Vikings:
Shawn Smith (Head Referee)
- Alex Moore: Umpire
- Jay Bilbo: Down Judge
- Jeff Seeman: Line Judge
- Dyrol Prioleau: Field Judge
- Boris Cheek: Side Judge
- Dino Paganelli: Back Judge
The head referee oversees the other referees on the field during the game, and has the final say on play calling. While the umpire, down judge, line judge, field judge, side judge, and back judge are positioned throughout the field and make calls, the final say on what the play call will be is made by the head referee.
Smith became an umpire for the NFL in 2015, and was promoted to referee in 2018.